Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-08
THE BUG UNDER THE CHIP.
whnt Prohibitionist Says-How Farmers
Ha Look at 1t,
tE Dallas Times,

whnt Prohibitionist says-How Farmers
a Look at 1t.
as Dallas Times.
Yesterday the reporter ran across Col
onel glastonbury, who was on a visit to
the,city, and kno wing him to be a repre-
sentative farmer and lifetime Prohibi-
zionist, asked for his views on the all
absorbing topic, expecting. of course,
that be was for the amendment.
Colonel" asked the reporter, ado
you expect to carry the prohibition
amendment, and are the farmers gener-
ally for it?"
"Wel, sir" he replied, sI see you,
ike everybody else, think | am for the
amendment because I am prohibition
ist, when, for this very reason, am
against il: One-halt the prohibitionists
who are bowling for this amendment
haven't read it, but have and plainly see
the bug under the chip. 1 am not sur
prised that the whisky men sre taking so
little interest in the fight for the adop-
ton of this radically foolish amendment
will result in its speedy abandonment and
destroy all the prohibition sentiment in
Texas.
"This amendment don't prohibit the
Importation of liquor by either individuals
or dealers, it is the worst species of class
legislation, and more calculated to en-
courage than discourage the use of
whisky. Under it, if adopted, any man
with money can fill his cellar with wines
and liquors from other states and make
the whole county drunk once week and
you can't punish him; but if an old
| 60
from his own grapes or blsckberries he
will be punished.
"Under it man with money can lay in
a supply, but poor man with q spare
nickel can't buy glass of beer or drink
CT native wine. The necessary effect will
! lie to drive out of the country wine and
beer, the least harmless and Intoxicating
drinks, and encourage the use of whisky,
which contains great strength IN small
packages.
"The whisky men and druggists have
gotten in their work in this amendment,
and the Prohibitionists will discover it
if adopted. Under this amendment we
will have as much whisky as ever and no
revenue, as what is now paid in taxes
will 90 into the pockets of doctors aud
druggists. We will have less wine and
beer and more drunkenness, and won't
| have single district Judge or prosecuting
attorney less, and expenses will be just as
! heavy and taxes on farmers heavier.
"There is just prohibition enough in
this thing to raise a political issue and
HI in Texas, and not enough to do any
good if adopted. A trial of this drug
store, free importation business, will
make prohibition stink in the nOstriIs of
| the DeODIe of TeXasF
at is an Internal job and nobody but
political prohibtiouists will support it.
When this thing is fully discussed before
| them you will find that very few prohi-
bition farmers will support it. Taey
want sure enough prohibition of whisky,
and won't be made cat-paWs of Just 10
get up political excitement and a po-
| Iitical party.
81 haven't talked TO my friend Senator
Johnson of Mckinney, VINO is a true rep
resentative of the sober, Industrious,
farming classes, but | know when he sees
! this amendment he will know there is 8
bug under the chip.
81 am a genuine Prohlbitionist, and
don't intend to swallow this thing, which
is put-up job, and badly botched at that
| 1t may give the politicians and preachers
a chance to air their eloquence, but tae
farmer will study it out for himself. That
Legislature has put this up along with
those other jobs, and submitted this one
horse amend nent so the people would
| forget how they stood in with the rail
roads. The people are no fools.
! 'They will vote this amendment down
and elect a Legislature which will submit
one with less whisky in it. If this amend
Lment is adopted it destroys the local op-
ton part of the constitution and leaves
temperance and prohibition in a worse
Fix than ever. The big whisky men are
for this thing, because it means mOnOp-
oily for them. l don't see how any simon
pure local Optionist or PrOhibitionist
can have the wool pulled over his eyes by
this thing.
sTt looks to me like the wholesale
liquor men have put their money into this
amendment to get rid of the tax and shut
off the consumption of peer and house
made wine. You city fellows and legis-
latOrs are smart, but you can't fool old
| Chrisenbury. If we farmers who are
Prohioitionists give up this immense rev
enue and go down into our pockets to
make the deficiency good we want to
| know that we are rid of whisky.
HWe don't want to be made cat-paws
out of by agitators, politicians and legis-
lat0rs. Nobody is going to whOOp, sing,
or pray US into swapping the saloon man
or local option off for whisky drug stores
and whisky doctors who don't help pay
the taxes. l for one, and good many OF
my neighhOrs, want sure enough prOhlbi-
ton or else revenue"